TARAPOTO TO CANELOS 119 



entered the water and attempted to pass down- 

 stream. At this moment we poured in shots upon 

 him from musket and pistol, which, however, did 

 not disable him, and he dived out of sight, but on 

 coming up near one of the canoes, an Indian 

 planted a lance in his breast. Several Indians then 

 leaped into the water, which was scarcely breast- 

 high, and speedily dispatched him. When swim- 

 ming he had only his head above water, and his 

 mouth wide open displayed a formidable set of 

 teeth. At the first reach we went ashore and cut 

 him up ; he was a fat, well-grown male ; few of the 

 shots had gone much beyond his thick skin. The 

 finest pieces were salted down and the rest partly 

 consumed on the spot and partly roasted for the 

 morrow. 



May 19 (Tuesday].- ... We stopped to break- 

 fast at io|- A.M., in the mouth of a stream called 

 Sara-yacu, which enters on the left bank. It is 

 of considerable size, with clear water and pebbly 

 bed. Here was a house and chacra with several 

 people. ... In the canoes moored here I saw 

 several bateas (wooden dishes) for gold-washing; 

 they were made of some light wood, and 

 about I. 1 ,- feet in diameter either in the form ol a 

 meniscus or of a very low cone- and two projecting 

 pieces had been left on the margin for handles 

 The gold found here is only in small quantity and 

 in very minute fragments. My companions 

 two or three pans of gravel, and in each 

 three or four grains of gold ; but it wouk 

 necessary to go to a considerable depth to 

 with any chance of success, for the grav 



